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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Mar 18, 2010 - 5:39:57 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
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| Photo by SGT John Cervone. |
CRANSTON, RI - On the evening of March 11, 2009, the commander of U.S. Central Command praised the Army medics and Navy corpsmen whose courage on the battlefield protects the lives of their fellow service members.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told the audience at the 3rd Annual Armed Services YMCA Gala here that he was an appropriate keynote speaker, given that he's survived two near-fatal injuries.
General Petraeus' most recent injury occurred in 2000 when he was injured in a skydiving jump. Nine years earlier, General Petraeus was wounded by friendly fire in a live-fire training accident while commanding the 3rd Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky.
Petraeus said his simple, yet hugely important, task during the event was to thank combat medical personnel -- in particular, the troops accepting awards on behalf of their respective services.
"Wherever they serve, they always exhibit extraordinary qualities, skill, courage, cool under pressure, and selflessness," Petraeus said. "Tonight, we recognize and thank them, the angels of the battlefield, for all that they've done, and all that they continue to do for their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, and for our great country."
One of the soldiers receiving an award was Rhode Island Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew Lavoie. While deployed to Iraq SSG. Lavoie encountered frequent attacks as an Army medic while serving with the 172nd Infantry of the Rhode Island Army National Guard. In 2006, while traveling near Al Asad Air Base, his convoy encountered multiple improvised explosive device attacks.
"Numerous vehicles were hit; we had one rollover," he recalled. "We evacuated two U.S. soldiers, and the rest of them had superficial wounds. We were down for probably two hours." Asked what his role was during the ambush, he said: "I was the only medic there." Lavoie said being honored at the event was "surreal."
"The truth is, I do what I do every day for 10 years to be able to help somebody," he said. "It's about more than just me."
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